Crispy Amanita muscaria (fly agaric 🍄) with lactofermented wild garlic salt
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind, Amanita muscaria needs to be rendered safe to eat with sufficient double boils. This is NOT a mushroom for beginners as it naturally contains neurotoxins ☺️.
This is always a fun one as this makes people nervous - which is fine! Many cultures are wary of it, but it’s also a traditional food for others. But it’s a mushroom I’ve eaten quite a lot now with correct preparation. I don’t often collect it if there’s better around, but last year for example there was a lot of it, and not much else for me!
A muscaria contains neurotoxins, muscimol and ibotenic acid - these will make you very sick if you just eat raw or poorly cooked. They are however water soluble which is key to preparing safely - the standard advice is to boil in a large amount of water for 10 mins, strain, and repeat, before cooking as desired. I find they are best when crisped up in a pan. They’re a really nice mushroom imo, and most similar to the flavour of Amanita rubescens - a much easier fungi to cook! But with a more distinctive nutty flavour. But to reiterate, not a fungi for beginners.
